Buttercup's Beginnings
by IrethEarfalas
Summary: Buttercup was present at the start of the series and at the end of the series. Here's a story about him joining the Everdeen family.
1. I am Buttercup

I am hungry. And tired and miserable and sick, but right now I'm mostly hungry. I haven't found anything in the big bins where humans dump their garbage, because there was another accident in the mines, just when my own mother disappeared, and now there are even more humans to compete with for leftover food. And the rats all seem to be in better shape than me. Pride is no longer important to me, I have to beg for food from humans. In this district, the humans with blond hair are more likely to have food to spare. I lie waiting for a kind soul to hand me some scraps, looking as pathetic as I can. Looking at the state I'm in, it doesn't take much effort on my part. No one seems to be coming this way. In addition to everything else I'm now also bored. I feel like digging just to find something to do, but what would be the use of that? I'll just be wasting energy, and I need to conserve what little energy I have in case my plan doesn't work. The sun is extremely hot. At some point in time I doze off.

I wake up to find someone's hands gently stroking me. A young human girl is crouched down beside me. Finding me awake, she starts talking to me in a sweet voice. I don't understand what she's saying, but I do notice she has blond hair. She is someone likely to feed me. I give as piteous a meow as I possibly can. It works. She lifts me up carefully and walks off, all the while speaking soothingly. I make out the word "food", one of the only human words I recognize. I purr loudly, and she seems happy. She soon starts repeating one word very often. And rather slowly. I think she wants me to understand her. And since she's going to feed me, I try to understand. But it's a much longer word than "food", "no", "shoo", "bad", "here", "kitty" and "cat".

During the long walk, I finally understand. She keeps pointing at me or looking at me while saying that word. Just like how humans point at me and other cats when they say "bad cat". I'm being named. Which means I'm now a house cat. I'll always have food to eat. Because this human girl is taking me home. I make extra effort to make out my new name. And I do. I am Buttercup.


	2. Attempted Murder

I wish I knew the girl's name. But obviously I don't find out. Humans refer to other humans by their names, but not to themselves. They're very strange sometimes. I just purr every time she says "Buttercup", and she hugs me closer.

All this feels very good, but why is it taking so long for her to reach home and feed me? Her house doesn't seem to be in town, but out on the outskirts, where all the poor humans live. How is that possible? Isn't she going to feed me? How can she, if she doesn't have enough food to spare. If she's been lying to me, I'll have to escape. And it's a long walk back to town. Better do it now. I struggle in her arms, but she strokes my head and soothes me. I decide to see where she takes me before escaping.

She pushes open a squeaky door, and I am disappointed to see the size and condition of the house. I don't think I'm going to get fed. I must be just a way of amusing the girl. A plaything. I hiss and try to escape her clutches. Another girl, older and dark-haired looks at me, disbelief and disgust registering on her face. She says something to the younger girl, pointing at me. She obviously doesn't like me. Well, I don't like her much either. Just another human to compete with for food. So when she seizes me, I hiss even more, scratching anything I can get my claws on. The older girl sounds angry now. Good.

Suddenly she dunks me head-first into a bucket of water. I choke and splutter. I hadn't expected this. Am I going to be killed and eaten? No human should ever be trusted. As I struggle to keep my face out of water, I feel a sense of satisfaction that my claws are very, very sharp.

Suddenly the first girl comes to my rescue, shrieking at the one drowning me. Ok, one human can be trusted. But not this other one. Are they sisters? I don't think I'd want to live with the older one, even if her younger sister takes good care of me. The younger girl pats me dry with her sleeve and gives me something to eat. It's tasteless, but it fills me and I'm grateful. The older girl looks extremely upset. I shoot her a smug look. She glares at me and looks away. Ha! Maybe I wouldn't mind living with her. It could be very entertaining.


	3. A Home with Prim

I settle in quickly. Prim, the younger sister adores me, and-I'm not ashamed to say it- I adore her too. Cats shouldn't get too attached to a human, but I know Prim will never abandon me on the streets. And I like being a house cat. I still get to go wherever I please, but I have somewhere to return to. Even if that somewhere contains Katniss. Their mother mostly ignores me, and I return the favour. But the Katniss girl just gets on my nerves. It's obvious she'd like to send me back to wherever I came from. And I certainly don't try to please her or make life easier for her. Cats do have huge egos and long memories you know, enough to rival humans.

But lately she seems to be trying to make peace. Every time she returns from hunting, she feeds me the entrails from her kills. So I stop hissing at her. I keep out of her way.

But I spend as much time as I can with Prim. I stay beside her as she sleeps, to protect her. Not from Katniss, though, she loves Prim as much as she dislikes me. Prim makes sure I always have enough to eat, but I still go hunting, catching rats and birds and spiders and lizards. It's important not to lose these skills as you never know what may happen. If anything happens to that Katniss girl, it's up to me to bring home the bacon.

My new house is cozy, despite what its appearance suggests. Many times the electricity goes off, leaving the house in complete darkness at night. I like it. But I don't like the crazy spot of light that appears on the walls during such blackouts. Try as I might, I can never catch it. And it seems to know I want to catch it. It hovers tantalizingly within reach, then jumps away suddenly. Sometimes I'm sure I've got it, but no, I can never feel it. Despite the fact it has a mind of its own, it seems to be just a spot of light. That's one of the great mysteries of life I want to solve one day. But for now, I am actually content with life. This is the first time I have something I can call a home


End file.
